Is it right for me?

The Nismo RS is, quite literally, in a league of its own as none of the city SUVs the quirky-looking Juke competes against, like the mysteriously best-selling Mitsubishi ASX and Mazda's CX-3, are offered with even the slightest pretention of performance.

Presumably, that's because most of those runabouts are primarily aimed at style-conscious females rather than track-day boy racers. But who's to say those interests are mutually exclusive, or defined by gender at all? And who's to say that the Juke can't appeal to both?

Nissan doesn't think so. But neither does it expect the Nismo RS to be a big seller, as only 240 of them will be coming to Australia with the local division securing an end-of-the-line batch before production of the current-generation Juke wraps up ahead of an all-new model being introduced next year.

Can I afford it ?

Sourcing the Juke from Great Britain means the Nismo RS isn't cheap - at least in context to how much bang for your buck it offers.

Sitting at the top of the revised 2018 Juke range, above the entry-level, front-drive-only ST and mid-grade Ti-S, the Nismo RS slots into genuine hot hatch territory, costing as much as the benchmark Volkswagen Golf GTI or Hyundai's stellar i30 N.

Available in two specifications, the front-drive Nismo RS with a six-speed manual transmission costs $37,790 (plus on-roads) while a less-powerful version with all-wheel drive and a CVT automatic will set you back $41,490 (plus on-roads).

What do you get for your money?

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Both share the same level of basic equipment, which includes air conditioning, cruise control, a smart key with push button start and a 5.8-inch touch screen display with sat nav, Bluetooth connectivity and a weezy six-speaker audio system.

Owing to the fact the Juke's fundamental underpinnings are approaching puberty, it misses out on any of the latest active safety features and high-tech gadgets which would naturally extend its appeal to young enthusiasts. There's no automated emergency braking, for example, nor does it have smartphone mirroring for Apple or Android devices (but neither does any other Nissan at the moment, anyway). It does have six airbags, lane departure warning and blind spot monitoring though.

What you're paying extra for (almost $8k more than a similarly-equipped Ti-S model) is a host of Nismo bits and bobs, such as its body kit with signature red highlights, black 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in quality Continental rubber, lowered and revised suspension settings, figure-hugging sports seats trimmed in Alcantara and a peppy 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder engine fitted with a sports exhaust that generates more power and torque than in the Ti-S.

How much does it cost to maintain?

All Nissan models, including Nismo variants, are covered by a regular three-year, 100,000km warranty with a capped-price servicing scheme that lasts for the first six years or 120,000km (whichever occurs first).

With intervals set every year, or 10,000km, it may require more frequent visits than most small cars. But keeping it maintained is reasonably affordable with minor services costing $281 while a major overhaul at 100,000km is the most expensive at $654.

Is it well built?

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There's nothing to suggest the Juke Nismo RS will be anything but a dependable little runabout, especially considering it arrives at the end of the model lifecycle and doesn't have any new-fangled tech.

That said, it isn't the flashiest machine out there with the cabin cloaked in cheap, hard plastics and featuring cringey and shiny fake carbon fibre highlights around the centre console and gearlever.

What are the Standout features?

Some of that can be forgiven - or forgotten at least - when you're driving the Juke Nismos RS as most of the surfaces touched feature beautifully tactile (fake suede) Alcantara, like the hand grips on the three-spoke steering wheel, the armrests in the doors and the snug sports seats, plus it's also on the free-standing hood over the instrument cluster which looks cool.

What does it have that others don't?

If anything, those touches alone bring a genuine sporty vibe that no other city SUV can match at the moment.

Thankfully, that is complemented by enough character in the way the Juke Nismo RS drives to call it more than a cosmetic pack. Nissan Australia purposely steered clear of the dressed-up-only Juke Nismo available in the UK and will only offer the higher-powered RS version to warrant its place alongside the GT-R and 370Z.

In doing so, it literally has no direct rivals - at least until Hyundai's rapidly-expanding N division releases the expected high-performance Kona N in 2020, by which time the Juke will be replaced anyway and a Nismo sequel will be some way down the line.

How practical is it?

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For the next 12 months at least, the Juke Nismo RS will tread its own path, offering a unique high-riding alternative to small hot hatches like the Renault Clio RS, Abarth 595, Peugeot 208 GTi and the incoming next-generation Ford Fiesta ST.

With that, it is easier to climb (rather than drop) into the cockpit and more convenient to load the little-uns into the back seat. But it isn't any bigger than any of those city cars, and even though it can be had with an all-wheel drive configuration it doesn't have any serious off-road abilities.

Is it comfortable?

What it does have is a good view of the road ahead from its high-perched bucket seats, which have tight bolsters on both the back rest and cushion that make them super supportive when tackling the twisties yet are comfortable enough to spend hours behind the wheel without feeling squished.

The seating position itself is good, with the high-rise gear lever easily accessible for spirited use, and there's plenty of headroom under its bubble-domed roof to suit tall occupants in the front, but the steering wheel only moves up-and-down and misses out on reach adjustment.

There's not much in the way of small item storage however, with a pair of cupholders between the seats the only place to stash your phone securely. There is a small shelf in front of the gearlever with access to the 12V and USB power outlets, but you're almost guaranteed that anything you put there will be flung into either footwell as soon as you turn a corner.

Easy in, easy out?

The Juke isn't a big car by any stretch of the imagination, and while there's decent room for front seat occupants, which can access the cabin through reasonable doors, it's not the most family friendly little runabout.

Passengers unfamiliar with the car will, first of all, have to find the door handle hidden in the blacked-out trailing edge of the rear window to get in the back, and little kids might struggle to reach it easily.

No matter how big they are, the back seat is fairly cramped for legroom, there's no rear air vents and the rising window line restricts vision out the side while the big sports seats block some of the forward view, which only amplifies how tight it feels back there.

Space and versatility?

If you do plan to use it as a regular family runabout, there's enough boot space to handle everyday duties. With 354L of total capacity in the front-wheel drive variant (which reduces to just 207L in the all-wheel drive configuration owing to its more complex multi-link rear suspension set-up - the base model has a simpler torsion beam arrangment) there's enough room for the weekly groceries, weekend sporting activities or quick out-of-town getaways.

What's the engine like?

The Juke Nismo RS is powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo charged petrol engine that produces 160kW at 6000rpm and 280Nm between 3600rpm and 4800rpm when equipped with a six-speed manual with a limited slip differential in the front-wheel drive set-up.

With modifications to its engine management computer to increase boost (and subsequently fitted with stronger connecting rods to handle the added pressure) it has 20kW and 40Nm more than the same engine fitted to the Ti-S variant, and can accelerate from 0-100km/h in under eight seconds, which is spritely enough but not as rapid as, say, the Clio RS that also uses the same motor.

Choosing the all-wheel drive model, which has a torque vectoring rear axle and CVT auto, drops those peak outputs to 157kW and 250Nm, although its maximum pulling power is available across a wider rev range, between 2400rpm and 6000rpm.

How much fuel does it consume?

The manual transmission is not only the quicker option, but also the more efficient one with an average fuel consumption figure of 7.2L/100km, fractionally better than the 7.3L/100km figure for the 160kg heavier CVT version.

Is it enjoyable to drive?

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You have to admire Nismo for committing to the Juke before any of Nissan's other, more popular SUVs, such as the Qashqai, X-Trail and Pathfinder, or having a crack at a performance version of the Navara to rival Ford's Ranger Raptor, especially while sitting alongside genuine performance cars in the GT-R and 370Z.

Does it fit, and who's going to fork out $40k-odd for one? Those are questions that can't be answered objectively, as it doesn't offer the same kind of driving thrills as its siblings and, ultimately, won't appeal to the same kind of driving enthusiasts.

But, in much the same way as the 370Z has a charming analogue driving character about it, the Nismo Juke R feels like a lively old-school hot hatch - and makes you giggle for the right reasons no matter where, or how quickly, you're peddling it.

The engine is fizzy right from the get-go, spinning up quickly for spritely getaways and offers decent rolling acceleration in the lower gears thanks to a meaty mid-range surge of grunt, making it enjoyable to fling around town and dart through the suburbs. But the engine does run out of puff as it closes on its redline, and, to be frank, doesn't sound as good as it goes, lacking an aural signature that invites you want to dip in and out of the throttle just to hear it bark or blurt. Instead, it's all whooshy and a bit thrashy.

Its low-rev chubbiness isn't harnessed very well by the limited slip differential either, as the front wheels will tug the steering wheel and scramble for traction under heavy acceleration. But when you ask less from the engine and more from the taut chassis on a flowing, open section of road the Juke Nismo is surprisingly swift and delightfully playful with a sharp front-end that tucks in nicely to the apex, and a slick little gear shift that encourages you to flick it through the cogs quickly.

It's always busy though. The short wheel base configuration and torsion beam rear suspension does make it fidgety over patchy roads, there's kick back through the steering when you hit a mid-corner bump and the cabin is noisy on rough surfaces.

Does it perform as you expect?

For all that is fun about the Juke Nismo RS, it is a car that already feels like its from another time. The concept of a high-riding hot hatch is spot-on in terms of right now, but the Juke's fundamentals have some wrinkles in them that can't be ironed out or covered up by the Nismo makeover.

Ultimately, it's difficult to see the value in the Juke Nismo RS at the same price as genuine hot hatches that are more modern, have more grunt, feature the latest safety gear and, frankly, are bigger, faster and better to drive.

2018 Nissan Juke Nismo RS Price and Specifications

Price: From $37,990 (plus on-roads)

Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol

Power: 160kW at 6000rpm

Torque: 280Nm at 3600-4800rpm

Transmission: Six-speed manual, FWD

Fuel use: 7.2L/100km

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